The Thing Is
by JMolover13
Summary: Emma comes out to Snow and Charming in Fairytale Land, but when Regina comes in at the end of the discussion, Snow can't handle it well... and neither can James.


**AN: Okay, so… my demure, good Regina came out in this one… which I didn't think was going to happen originally, but she did… Hope you enjoy, anon.**

Emma was pacing her quarter's living room. She'd told her parents earlier that there was something they needed to talk about… she didn't think that they'd show up here and now…

She looked around, praying to God, err… the gods, that she wouldn't see a puff of purple and black smoke come around.

"Emma… just tell us." James said as he watched his daughter pace on… quite nervously may he add.

"Yes. Emma dear, I'm sure whatever it is we can work through it…" Snow sat up a little straighter and took her husband's hand. She was getting more and more rattled by not knowing and from watching the blonde walk a hole into the floor than she was willing to admit.

"Okay!" Emma finally turned to them and stood still, "Here's the thing…" she clapped her hands together and brought them to her mouth as is she were praying then threw them to her sides and let them swing back up before snapping her fingers and clapping her the 'o' of her fist. "The thing is…" She bit her lip and crossed her arms. "Here's the thing…" She turned her hips about to start pacing, "The thing—"

"What is the thing?" James asked with a laugh in his tone. He looked to his wife, who was unimpressed with his amusement, "She's been doing that for almost ten minutes, I'm just trying to speed things along…" He gave her his charming half grin, hoping to gain points back with his wife.

Emma took a big breath and turned around, "Okay… I don't think I can tell you while I see your faces, so I'm just gonna say it like this, okay?"

"Okay, dear…" Snow said calmingly.

"So uh… I don't know the rules about this here, but back home… err, in reality, it was still looked down upon and totally not legal in most states…"

Snow and James turned to each other in real concern, "Emma… if you… if you killed someone—"

"I didn't kill anyone." Emma turned back to them, "Murder is illegal in all fifty states! I said this isn't in most states… mainly the very, very red states…" She saw their concerned eyes and quickly turned back around.

"Emma, I don't know what it is, but if it's eating at you this much… just say it. Please." Snow spoke softly.

"I'm a lesbian." She closed her eyes and winced a little, ready for the roars of anger or whatever the hell they were going to do.

When nothing happened for a moment, she decided to turn back around… and found her parents trying to hide their laughing.

"Well, of course you are!" Snow covered her mouth, "I'm sorry, Emma, but…"

James had to hide his face behind his wife at this point because he couldn't keep it straight anymore.

Snow patted his knee, trying to calm him, "But, you weren't exactly _hiding_ it…"

Emma nodded with a blank face, "Okay… so you know already."

"We know already." James came up for air and looked at his daughter, "And there are no laws stating that two men or two women cannot wed." He said reassuringly.

Emma sighed in relief and looked off to the side… where purple and black smoke began forming. She bit her lip and turned back to her parents nervously, "Well, that was all." She tried to pick them up herself as she began scooting them to the door, "Man am I tired," she faked a yawn, "Ho hum, welp…" She was almost free, "See you tomor—"

"Why are you telling us now?" Snow turned back around and looked at Emma with inquisitive eyes.

"row…" The blonde pursed her lips to the side, "Uhh… Just felt like it was high time it was all out in the open?" She knew it wasn't supposed to come out as a question, but it did.

"Just felt…" Snow covered her mouth, "Oh Emma…" She took her daughter's hand, "Have you found love?"

James smiled as well, "We must meet her. Bring her to the castle for dinner tomorrow!"

"Emma this is so exciting! Who is it? Anyone we know?"

"Um, well… Yes, but—"

"Oh is it Red? You two would be rather adorable."

"No it's not, Red… Listen um, I don't know if that's the best idea that she come for dinner—"

"Nonsense!" James said.

"Yes." Snow nodded along with her husband, "If you don't want to tell us now, we'll just be surprised tomorrow." Snow leaned in and hugged her daughter, "I'm so happy for—" She opened her eyes during the hold and there, on the couch she'd just been sitting on moments before was the woman who scoured the lands for her heart then cursed them all to Storybrooke, "REGINA?!" She pushed passed her daughter, "What the hell are you doing here?"

James and Emma followed, James standing next to his wife and Emma… Well, Emma walked around them both to the wicked witch bent down, took her face and kissed her.

"What in the gods' names is going on?" James asked before drawing his sword.

Regina stood up about to defend herself, but Emma, who's hand was still on her cheek, turned her face to her, "This is my battle, not yours…" She whispered so only the brunette could hear her.

Then the princess turned around, "I'm in love with Regina."

"No, Emma you can't!" Snow said seriously.

"Yes… I can… And I do… and I have since before the curse even broke…"

"Emma…?" Regina took her hand, causing the blonde to turn back around to look at her.

"I did." Emma shrugged, "I can guarantee that if I had kissed you before I kissed him, the curse would have broken the same… I just… thought it was unrequited…"

"It wasn't." Regina said with a teary smile.

"She put a spell on you—"

"In a land without magic?" Emma turned back to her parents.

"Well…"

"Well?" Emma pushed them, "She put no spell on me, she's done nothing harmful to me since I came to Storybrooke…" She jutted her jaw to the side, "Okay there was the whole framing you for Kathryn's non-murder and the whole killing Graham thing, but other than that and a couple fist fights…" Emma flung her hand to the side as if to say, 'we're peachy keen.'

"Are you listening to yourself!?" Snow asked.

"Yeah." Emma nodded, "I know that it sounds bad. I know that she was a bad person, but people can change…"

"No they can't. They only learn to lie better."

"No Mom. They can change. People aren't born evil. We get socked in the gut every so often and we have to make choices. We have to decide how to deal with things… sometimes we choose wrong. But just as easily we can choose right. And Regina's been choosing right for a long while now…"

"How do you know this?" James asked, "How can you possibly know what decisions she's been making?"

"Because she tells me… and I know when she's lying. I have that superpower, remember?" She sighed and leaned into her girlfriend's soothing touch that began caressing her back, "Listen… I know that you don't want this… just like Dad's fake daddy didn't want you two together, but if I have drink the 'I hate you, I wanna kill you' potion only to fall even harder for her to prove to you that we are as meant to be as you guys, I will. If I have to fight dragon's and ogres and even Regina's mom, I will if it will prove to you that I am that committed to her… If it will give us your blessing…"

"What about your throne? How will the people across the land feel if you marry the woman they all collectively hate."

"How would you feel if I stepped down? I mean… it's not like we're not all the same age right now… I'll die just after or even before you guys… And there is a much younger heir that is a lot more into this fairytale land thing than me…"

"I am not hearing this! Emma this is who you are—"

"Exactly, mom!" Emma stepped around Regina and held her from behind looking at her parents, "This is who I am… I'm the woman that falls in love with my son's mother… What is so damn wrong with that?"

Snow turned to James for help and when he shook his head, telling her that he had nothing, she turned back to Emma, "I cannot condone this." She walked to the door and gave one last glance over to Regina, "Are you happy now? You've officially ripped out my heart." She walked out.

"Snow!" James called, but there was no response. He ran after her, "Snow!"

"Dad…?" Emma looked at him.

"Not now, Emma." He looked down and stroked the scruff on his face.

"But if she can't 'condone' it… I can't live here anymo—"

"I said. not. now." He gave her a stern look, "You are not going anywhere." He swallowed hard as he crossed the room once more and with no warning grabbed Regina's throat, "You have no idea how tempting it is to kill you here and now."

"DAD!" Emma launched herself at him, effectively pushing her from her lover.

"Haven't you done enough? How much more is left?" James asked her after controlling himself.

Regina closed her eyes, "I know you don't believe me, but the last thing I wanted was to fall in love with the savior. The last thing I wanted was to swoon for _Emma Swan_…" She looked from James to Emma, "But I did… And I can't take it back… I can't take any of what I did back… I can do right from now on… That's what I can do…"

James shook his head, "That's not good enough." He started for the door.

Emma's words paused her father's trek after her mother, "If it's not good enough, I _will_ leave…"

James did nothing but continue on his way, slamming the door behind him for effect.

Emma turned to Regina, "I love you…" She shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

"I love you too, dear."


End file.
